It’s the 46th Anniversary and May 1st, 2nd, and 3rd will be even bigger and better than ever with Fine Arts & Crafts, Antiques & Collectibles, Southwest Airlines Kids Korner and Live Entertainment from two stages!

Each year, the Festival is held the first weekend in May in the Historic downtown Centre Street business district in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida. This year, it all kicks off with the Pirate Parade Thursday, April 30th.

Entertainment is offered on Friday night from 5:00pm to 9:00pm at the Satilla Waterfront Park Stage. Saturday’s entertainment begins at 9:00 am and continues throughout the day at the waterfront stage as well as the gazebo stage located in the Arts & Crafts Area.

A children’s amusement area provides activities and games on Friday night and all day Saturday.

The Crawfish Parade is one of the highlights of the festival and is enjoyed by young and old alike. It begins at 10:00am at the corner of U.S. 17 and E. 10th Street and features entries such as bands, clowns, floats and horses.

Food concessions offering such mouth watering treats as Crawfish Boil, Crawfish Woodbine (Etoufee), Fried Chicken Dinners, Red Beans and Rice, Homemade Desserts, Barbecue, Funnel Cakes, Ice Cream and much more are available Friday night and all day Saturday. The Woodbine United Methodist Church will sponsor a breakfast on Saturday morning beginning at 6:30 a.m. The church is located at the corner of E. 4th Street and U.S. 17.

Our Arts & Crafts show is highly acclaimed by vendors and patrons alike. We strive to produce a quality show with a variety of hand crafted items from wood working to quilts. These areas will be located along the winding path of our Riverwalk. This meandering walkway, combined with vintage benches and lampposts, adds an aura of charm from days gone by This area will be open for your shopping pleasure of Friday night from 5:00pm to 9:00pm and on Saturday from 8:00am to 6:30pm.

JACKSONVILLE, FL – The Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance announced today it will celebrate world famed American coachbuilder Bohman & Schwartz as well as a pair of 50th anniversaries for significant races at Sebring and Daytona, during its 14th annual concours March 13-15, 2009 at the Ritz Carlton Amelia Island.

The elegant creations of Southern California coachbuilder Bohman & Schwartz will be featured in a separate class, which will display the one-of-a kind “Phantom Corsair” that was commissioned for Rust Heinz, heir to the H.J. Heinz food empire.
The Phantom Corsair’s futuristic shark-like body was mated to a Cord 810 Chassis and enjoyed a brief stint in Hollywood appearing as the mysterious “Flying Wombat” in the movie, “The Young in Heart.” The car will be making a rare trip outside the National Automobile Museum (The Harrah Collection) in Reno, Nevada for its showing the Amelia Island Concours.

Also celebrated at this year’s concours, are the 50th anniversaries of the first US Grand Prix Formula One race at Sebring International Raceway and the only Indy car race ever held at the Daytona International Speedway. A seminar called “The Great Roadster Drivers,” will be held to recount the history and legacy of these races. Miami native Jim Rathmann, the 1960 Indy 500 winner, will be the Concours’ guest for the weekend and will participate in the Saturday seminar at The Ritz-Carlton grand ballroom. Johnny Rutherford, Bobby Unser, and Parnelli Jones are also tentatively set to join Rathmann on the panel.

About the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance
The Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance is one of the nation’s most innovative vintage auto events featuring more than 250 rare classics from seldom-seen private collections nationwide. The show is scheduled for March 13-15, 2009, at The Golf Club of Amelia Island at Summer Beach adjacent to The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island. The show’s foundation has donated nearly $1.6 million to Community Hospice of Northeast Florida, Inc. since 1996.
For more information, visit www.ameliaconcours.org or call 904-636-0027.

Fort Clinch Union Garrison Sept 6-7 2008
Living history interpreters recreate life at Fort Clinch during the War between the States. Activities may include powder artillery demonstrations, marching drills, as well as soldiers and civilians taking up duty in the laundry, infirmary and kitchen. For details call (904) 277-7274.